12/31/12

To read the past 136 Miniskirt Monday posts, you'd think the miniskirt was invented in the late sixties. Granted, Retrospace is mainly about the 70s, so perhaps I can be forgiven for not covering pre-1960s minis.

As we all know, the miniskirt didn't magically appear on Carnaby Street in 1965. If you want to be technical about it, you could take it back to the Greek, Egyptian and even Neolithic periods. In the twentieth century it experienced some popularity among the Flappers, and was pretty common in the female dominated service arena (i.e. cigarette girls, hat check girls, waitresses, etc.) The Depression and Dust Bowl were unkind to the mini, but you can't keep it down for long, and the female leg started showing itself once more.

So, let's have a brief look at some ancestors of the mini. It is time we paid them their due. Enjoy.

12/29/12

At the end of the year I like to take stock of where Retrospace is at and where I'd like it to go over the next year. Overall, I'm pretty happy with how things are going. Although, I've recently suffered a few setbacks: both my record player and scanner broke. I've got stacks of records that demand ripping and piles of magazines that demand scanning, but all will have to wait till I get things fixed.

That is perhaps my biggest goal for '13 - to get to scanning. You would be surprised to know the amount of catalogs, TV Guides, magazines, and other ephemera that is just rife for the scanning. It pains me that I have a stack of National Lampoons and Sears Catalogs that have yet to lie face down on a scanner - a tragedy of epic scale. And don't get me started on the records that are waiting in the queue - a goldmine of vinyl begging to be released to the masses. 2013 will be their year, I feel confident.

This is one download you will not regret, folks. With over 30 pages of vivid seventies fashion at its most gaudy. Make no mistake, I would get on my knees and thank the Lord above if these styles came back - I love it. That being said, the widespread drug usage that went along with the seventies helped make these styles a lot more palatable.

The 1973 House of Kesman Catalog is more or less a Frederick's of Hollywood/ Victoria's Secret style catalog with an emphasis on sexy styles for the ladies. There's no nudity, just 70s finery at its zenith. Here's a few more crops before you download. And You're Welcome.

12/27/12

If Retrospace was a business, I would not be posting entire issues of vintage fotonovelas. This would probably be a good thing to 99 percent of you - which is precisely my point. The business model for Retrospace is as follows: I post things I like.

Thankfully, there's a broad enough readership out there that I'm not completely talking to myself. A few hundred of you will download these rags, and that's good enough for me. In a perfect world, all of you will appreciate the splendor and magic of the fotonovela; but, alas, until then this post goes out to the enlightened few.

As usual, I've posted images of the cover and an inside panel or two. Click the link to download the CBR file. There are tons of free CBR readers out there, and it is by far the best way to read comics on your computer screen. Personally, I use CDisplayEx; but there's plenty others that are just as good if not better.

12/26/12

Let's see how well you've been boning up on your pancake detection skills. If you need a refresher, I encourage you to study previous pancake posts. But, if you think you're up to to the challenge, I would recommend you give it your best shot.

In each question, you will be presented with a photograph and a corresponding question. All questions will relate to the presence or absence of pancakes within the image, requiring an attention to detail and deductive reasoning based upon sometimes subtle clues. Are you ready? Let's begin.

12/25/12

When I see some of these godawful vinyl atrocities, I can't help but pause and reflect: How is that no one, from the beginning of the process to the printing of the sleeve, stepped in and said, "Wait a minute, guys. I think we're making a huge mistake."

Of course, the worse they are, the more I love them. It's an affliction I have. I can't love the horrid Magical Mystery Tour cover because the Beatles knew better. But I can love the Johnny Zamot as Incredible Hulk cover. Sure, the Hulk never wore a goatee, but that's part of its charm.

12/23/12

Back once again to taint the wholesome purity of Christmas. Retrospace is nothing if not consistent in its dedication to tackiness. Many of these images are ghosts of Christmas Past (i.e. repeats from older posts); but they deserve "regifting". Enjoy.

12/22/12

Listen, my house looks like a Norman Rockwell Christmas in every way. I live in a big old house that's all decorated for the holidays, I've got children who are still young enough to appreciate the magic of the season, and I even have a brand new puppy scampering around.

Indeed, it's so perfect I need an outlet for my jaded cynical self. Christmas is for the inner child, Retrospace is for the outer man. Time to put away those visions of sugarplums and get to the cigarette ads and lecherous Santas.

12/19/12

It's the holiday season on TV. Time for John Ritter, Loni Anderson, and The Oak Ridge Boys to don their sweaters, sit by the hearth and get wholesome. Yes, for these few weeks in December, we're putting aside disco and "jiggle TV" in favor of clean, salubrious specials for the whole family.

12/18/12

Modern Man: The Adult Picture Magazine predated Playboy by a couple years and lasted for several decades before going out of business. It had some pretty big name models and professional looking photography as well. If focused on sports cars, guns, and other manly pursuits without every trying to look erudite as Playboy was often guilty of. It always had the best (i.e. tawdry and outlandish) headlines as well.

It new what it was - a men's magazine, and never tried to masquerade as anything more. Playboy and Mayfair would have articles by William S. Burroughs and William F. Buckley in an effort to make you forget you were reading a magazine with pictures of naked women. You could actually kid yourself into thinking you bought the magazines for the articles.... not so with Modern Man. It was a macho manly man's mag.

Here is a loving tribute to its now defunct manly awesomeness: a bunch of Modern Man covers. Plus, you can even download an entire issue on the house (June 1967 - NSFW). Enjoy.

12/17/12

Ready for another round of 1970s motor homes? That was a rhetorical question, because how could you not be? This is the essence of the 70s on wheels; from the wood paneling to the drapes. For 70s enthusiasts, it simply doesn't get much better than this.

As I mentioned in the previous posts, these come from various brochures. I've removed the boring stuff, and left you with the purified 70s gold. There is simply no way you can repay me for this gift I give to you. Consider this my service to society. Enjoy.

I've had several Christmas miniskirt posts already (Mini Skirt Monday has been around for a few years). So, I'll try not to rehash them. The only thing worse than recycled presents are recycled pictures.

Last Christmas, we had Santa and miniskirts where we learned that Old Saint Nick is a leg man. This year, it's just general Christmas photos + minis. Enjoy.

12/15/12

With a retro blog like this, it should come as no surprise that we're breaching the TV theme song subject again. For whatever reason, TV themes are the big pop culture nugget that unifies all Gen Xers. Put a bunch of warring, hating, fighting forty-somethings in a room and have them listen to the Love Boat theme, and they'll be singing along and holding hands in less than a minute. So, consider this mix tape a token of peace from Retrospace. Download, Listen, and Love One Another.

12/13/12

A friend recently told me that he reads my posts every day, but when he sees there's a Needlework A-Go Go post he takes a rain check. I'm sure there's a set of you readers who feel the same way.

I say, diff'rent strokes for diff'rent folks. After all, the world don't move to the beat of just one drum. What might be right for you, may not be right for some.

This in essence is how Retrospace has managed to last so long. One day it's needlework, the next it's comic books, the next it's album covers, etc. The variety has kept my capricious nature in check.

So, bottom line is this: if hot babes in vintage clothing ain't your bag, I'll see you on the next post. But there's still plenty who lap them up. You'd think that people would have had enough of silly needlework posts. But I look around me and I see it isn't so. I just wanna fill the world with silly needlework posts.

12/12/12

I know this is going to sound harsh to those of you who revere comic books from yesteryear.... but, crap on a cracker, some of these superheroes were beyond awful. I mean, who sat down to think of the newest superhero and came up with "Bouncing Boy"? (see above) And I'm so glad the Legion of Super Heroes have placards..... I would have never guessed Lightning Lad's super power was lightning. And I'm glad they clarified Sun Boy's power as "Super Radiance" - that really clears that up for me.

And if you don't have the stomach for sentences that begin with conjunctions or snarky comments, you may want to move on to a different post. This one isn't for you.

12/11/12

What better place to look for big heaping mounds of hair than in these old girly magazines. The 1960s were all about the bouffant, and the skin mags were not about to show you about of drab girls with limp hair. Quite the contrary - whether wig or real - big was in, and it is a beauty to behold.

It's been a couple years since part one; so, here's the link. Perhaps nothing is more intrinsically "seventies" than those wonderful Winnebagos; so, I think it's high time we revisit this topic. What could be better than a 1970s motor home decked out in avocado and canyon gold finery. These vehicles were all the things people love or hate about the tastes and pallet of the seventies tied up into one neat package on wheels.

I've taken pictures from gobs of brochures and posted them for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy.

12/9/12

The unbreakable rule for decades was that women couldn't wear white after Labor Day. That's largely a thing of the past, and I'm proudly announcing we're breaking it right here on Retrospace. It's white shoes and sandals aplenty in this post and I don't give a damn what my grandmother says.

12/7/12

Back in February 2011, I posted a bunch of Easyrider magazine covers. Well, there's plenty of other biker rags out there that deserve attention.... my apologies for making you wait nearly two years. Better late than never, right?

Before you begin, I'll ask that you pay close attention to the headlines on these magazines. They are classic!

12/6/12

This cool Jack Davis illustrated ad got me thinking - how about a music ad post? Even better - how about a music ad post where you can listen to the songs promoted in the ads? After thoroughly congratulating myself on the idea, I put it together. And here it is

Westerners certainly don't have a monopoly on cheesecake. The practice of covering vinyl discs with pictures of pretty women knows no borders - it's a global tradition.

I don't think it's a stretch to say Far East vinyl beats Western album art in terms of sheer volume of cheesecake. Plus, Oriental album art could get pretty darn risque as you'll soon see. A few even warrant the dreaded acronym - NSFW. Proceed with caution.

12/4/12

I know pretty much everything appearing in an advertisement is choreographed. So, I'm not fool enough to believe we somehow caught this guy in the act of taking a peek. The advertisers design them this way so that you, the viewer, will follow their gaze....

12/3/12

Not sure why, but I have very vivid memories of the infamous Sansabelt. No suspenders or belt required - this thin band of elastic was all you needed. A quick look at Wikipedia and you'll find that the company went belly up (no pun intended) in 2009, and I was reminded of how Roy Biggins on Wings was apt to wear Sansabelt. Funny how something so cool can become so universally ridiculed.

It's only been about a year since our last Minis & Boots post, and I must say that post was a winner. And as hard as it is to follow up on that one, I think it's time we pressed on and dish out another. Enjoy.

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I mean no copyright infringement by the posting of pictures, videos, etc. on this blog. I do not in any way claim the rights of ownership to any of them. They totally remain the property of their respective owners. I have posted them purely for entertainment purposes only. All written content, unless otherwise noted as being quotes, has been written and copyrighted by me.